Frieze 91 is delighted to invite you to a lecture in partnership with Sotheby’s Institute of Art entitled, Sustainability-Led Innovation in Art, Design and Fashion. Joining for this occasion will be Elsa Åkesson, Neha Mathew and Eve Kekeh.
Sustainability is no longer optional. In the past few years, it has fast transitioned from a business buzzword into an imperative. This panel brings together three young entrepreneurs from art, fashion and design industries to discuss the new innovative solutions to global issues and debate the challenges and opportunities of building a conscious business model.
Speakers' bios can be found below.
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Elsa Åkesson is a Swedish-Malagasy contemporary painter and entrepreneur. In 2021 she launched Spongy Bags, padded eco-friendly totes made specifically for transporting art. The totes won Sotheby's Institute of Art's 2022 Gavel Prize startup competition (and $25,000 in funding) and are now an officially recommended product by the Gallery Climate Coalition. In 2023 Elsa has been included in Forbes 30 under 30: Art & Culture list.
Neha Mathew is a London-based social entrepreneur, educator, business coach and textile designer. She is a founder of haav -- a home decor brand that creates unique products by repurposing surplus fabrics in collaboration with disadvantaged women communities in London and India. She specialises in the 'circular design' field and currently work as the LCF Changemaker to co-design decolonial and inclusive educational practices.
Eve Kekeh is a founder of Bundlee, the first subscription service in the UK, which allows caretakers to rent, rather than buy, baby clothes. Within their first two years of life, babies outgrow seven clothing sizes, and in the U.K., one third of these too-small items end up in landfills and incinerators. Each Bundlee rental saves 40,500 gallons of water and 105kg of carbon dioxide. Eve has been an active advocate of sustainable innovations in fashion industry and has delivered numerous public talks in the topic. Her achievements were also recognised by Forbes who included her in 30 under 30: Social Entrepreneurs list in 2020.